Act 250 has nothing to do with a complainant being "offended." Act 250 is concerned with discrimination. It effected changes to Wisconsin's Pupil Non-discrimination Law. Wisconsin Indian educators want school environments where all students can thrive, and we want accurate and authentic historical and contemporary information taught about all people. In school districts where the prevailing thought was that the issue was a power struggle about local control, people defending an "Indian" moniker often became more and more rigid in their defense and less able to frame the issue as an education policy issue involving harm to children. Since 2002, a rigorous and ever expanding research base has grown around the impact of race-based "Indian" stereotypes on Native American students, students from other minority populations and indeed all students. This research supports the anecdotal and experiential testimony of Indian parents and educators. It has been replicated and duplicated and expanded into several disciplines such as applied and clinical psychology, and sports psychology to name a few. This body of research shows that "Indian" mascot, logo and name stereotyping is harmful and that it teaches students to stereotype groups of people other than the depicted "Indians."Get the Story:
Barbara E. Munson: 'Indian' mascots, nicknames harmful to children (The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel 9/13)
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